Aztec tattoo

The Aztec Tattoo Art, Picture and Calendar: The Aztec culture was based a lot on its religion. The culture was formed around age old-traditions that were incorporated in their art and education. The Aztec people created different designs and shapes. These designs or art were filled with elements of the Aztec religion and were considered sacred by the Aztec people.

The art was extremely important to the Aztecs, with both female and male children being taught the crafts of pottery making and working with precious metals and stones. The Aztec art included many recurring themes on nature and one was the Aztec calendar. These themes made excellent designs for tattoos.

Tattoos were an inherent part of the ancient Aztec culture. Tattoos were often used in religious rituals like offering human sacrifices to please their God Uitzilopochtle. Uitzilopochtle was associated primarily with hunting, which was an important method of subsistence for the Aztecs. The bodies of children, specifically on the wrist, chest and stomach were worked upon with tattoos. The practice was seen in the families of Aztec warriors. Such tattoos were created in order to show the devotion of the family towards a particular god. However, Aztecs also used tattoos in warfare and human sacrifice. Tattoos were inked on the prisoners of war and gladiatorial fighters, before human sacrifice. The sacrifices also involved a dance by the priest wearing the skin of the tattooed victims. Thus, every Aztec tattoo was done in a specific symbolic pattern, depending on the god being honored.

Aztec tattoos are based around themes of the sun. The Aztecs considered the sun to be the giver of life. The Aztec calendar was based around the sun and many images from these calendars include the sun personified with grim facial features. Aztecs also used an ancient language called the ‘Nahuatl’ in tattoos and the Aztec calendar.

The Aztec Warrior Tattoos: The Aztec people had their warriors covered with tattoos. These warriors learnt the art of warfare from early childhood. The Aztecs followed a ritual that involved the cutting off of the umbilical cord of a boy immediately after birth, drying it and then burying it in the battlefield. The custom was to establish a boy’s commitment of being a warrior forever. The military career was highly revered in their society.

The young Aztecs joined the Aztec warrior groups at the young age of 17. They were categorized into either an ‘eagle’ or ‘jaguar warrior’. The jaguar warriors wore skins of dead jaguars and animal head helmets. The eagles wore feathered helmets, with a gaping beak. Only those soldiers who were exceptional in combat could be a part of this elite military group.

Aztec warriors had uniforms adorned with paintings and patterns, with armor created with feathers and leather. Most Aztec tribal soldiers were covered with tattoo art.

Today, many tattoo enthusiasts sport Aztec Tattoos, which include the weapons used by the Aztecs. These weapons were spears made of wood, with obsidian edged blades and a wooden maquahuitl or war club, which was about 76cm or 30in long. The maquahuitl had grooved sides set with sharp obsidian blades. Warriors also carried ‘stabbing javelins’ and round shields with feathered fringes. The Aztecs had woolen slings to shoot stones at their enemies and also used flint and obsidian knives.